Poussard-Bailey Company

The Poussard-Bailey Company is an operatic company active in South Africa in 1867-8.

Also known as the Poussard-Bailey Opera Company

The company

Founded by and named after the violinist Horace Poussard (1829-1898)[1], soprano Amelia Bailey (1842-1932)[2], the company also consisted of the "serio-comic vocalist" Florence Beverley (known professionally as Florence Calzado, 1850-?)[3] and Bailey's husband, the manager Robert Sparrow Smythe (1833-1917)[4].

The company came into being when Poussard and Calzado set out to undertake a 4-year tour of India and South Africa, linking up with Robert Smythe (a manager) and his wife Amelia Bailey (soprano) to form the Poussard-Bailey Opera Company, going on to give more than 300 performances in this period as well as coping with the difficulties of travel by land and sea.

They arrived at the Cape from Mauritius in 1867, intending to merely stop over on their way to England, but ended up staying in South Africa for two years against all advice, crossing the Vaal river and giving concerts in the Transvaal. They were the first concert company to do so.

In November 1868 Smythe and Poussard left for England and France just after their 150th concert, while the two singers stayed at the Cape until June 1869 (inter alia presenting concerts in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town), before sailing directly back to Melbourne to rejoin the rest of the company and reconstitute the Poussard-Bailey Company.

While in Cape Town the company also made use of the local accompanist and singer Florence Matthews and a Mr Hewitt, who had apparently joined the company before they left for Europe.